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"The walking care package that Daddy gave me just seems to keep on giving. He's thrown in several computer programs from Davey's world that started to help us out the moment we installed them. Look at the stuff I've added to Nicole. . .

<She calls up the hologram>

"Stacker takes existing hard drives and increases their size by more than double. This will really give us more storage space for our little friends. . . Windows is a graphic based operating system that's so easy, even Amy Rose can be computer literate in no time. What used to be a complicated list of commands is now a simple click on to a small graphic called an icon. . . WordPerfect is, by far, the best word processing computer program I have ever used. It does everything except stuff your letters into the envelopes and mails them itself. . . "

Suddenly, Robotnik was shown in a cave, having his spare tire blown to hell by a missile. He collapses into his own pool of blood and guts. Some of the villagers gasped at the sight, others were cheering by the time they heard a gravely voice go, "Hell, yer face or yer @$$; what's the diffrence?"

"Alright, Sally! I haven't been here one week, and already, I caught someone playing Duke Nukum 3D!!!" "Man, that was cool, a little gross, but cool." Sally giggled nervously. "How the heck did that program got in there."

"SIMPLE SALLY, YOU INSTALLED IT IN. I DID WARN YOU ABOUT THE MA-17 RATING."

"yeah, right. . . " "You like that game, Sal, and you know it." "You're eyes were saying 'no,' but that numb thumb of yours was saying 'Yes!'" "rub it in you guys. . . A-ha! This is the one I was looking for; the schematic drawing for the process Davey was half-roboticized in. Oh, I found a disk for you to transfer those parameters in."

"Okay, Sal." Davey said as he slipped the disk into his forearm disk drive."

"I beg your pardon, my preencess, but what ess all theese talking about Daveed's robot arm?"

Sally went up to Davey to retrieve the disk. "Because this robot arm is more advanced than anything found on Mobius, Antoine. This design my father used is almost indistinguishable from a real living arm, especially in this compact mode and with the hologram on. You'll actually feel fox fur; it's even warm to the touch; and . . . <she stopped in surprise, then softened her voice> . . . a pulse. . . I feel a pulse. . . Nothing roboticized should have a pulse. . . " Everybody gasped in astonishment. "Are you askeeng moi that that arm's alive?" "If this' not a cure, it's certainly the next best thing." "Man, wait til Uncle Chuck hears about this!"

"Hold on for a moment, Sonic. We don't know if we can pull this off first. Tests need to be made."

"I want my Uncle Chuck to be the first one treated, Sal. He was the first one roboticized, it's only fair."

"Okay, Okay. After the test, we'll do Charles first."

Sally then turned to the audience. "Besides, we've got other things to do: Mr. Crockett, of course, needs a place of his own to live in. We have a good number of volunteers to do the building already. . ."

"I want to help 'em out, Sally. It's going to he my home after all."

"Not right now, Davey. I need you for a courier run. I need you to go to Minoc Grove to get some supplies. I'd go there myself, but I'm kinda buzy tonight."

"Sure thing, ma'am."

"An' I'll tag along t' show ya the ropes."

"Tag along, Sonic? That ain't your style. You're the kind that likes to lose trailers in the dust."

"Not with that bike Rotor's working on, Big Daddy."

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But first, Davey had to link up with Nicole to get a shopping list for the Minoc Grove errand run. It includes two pictures of critters that needed to be picked up. "THE CAT IS MELANIE, A MARTIAL ARTIST AND A PREVIOUS FREEDOM FIGHTER. SHE IS ANTOINE'S GIRLFRIEND, AND HE WENT ON AHEAD TO MINOC GROVE EARLIER TO MEET HER. THE CHAMELEON IS CLEO. SHE'S MELANIE'S YOUNG WARD. TAILS KNOWS HER WELL, THEY USED TO DATE."

"Tails? I thought he was with Amy Rose."

"AND CLEO, AND CHUCKLES, AND NINA, AND EVEN A ROBOTIC DUPLICATE THAT RESEMBLES AN 8-YEAR-OLD VIXIE. . . OH, SONIC AND TAILS HAVE JUST ARRIVED."

"Hey, Tails, you Heartbreak Kit, how's life."

"Uh-Oh, Big Guy. Davey's found out about your love life!"

"Aw, no." Tails hid his head under his arms.

Sally came by with a bag of Mobians. Apparently, they used the 'coins only' monetary system, as it appeared heavy when she tossed it to Davey. "A little something to get something for yourself while you're there, Dave. Consider it as your salary. Just don't spend it all in one place, okay?"

"Does it include Psycho Pay, Sal?"

"Oh, Sonic. . . Rotor's done with your hoverbike, you can pick it up."

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"Wow, Rotor. You've worked all night."

"Yeah. Tinkering's a hobby for me. I just can't sleep at night without messing around with anything mechanical. I've covered all the outside surfaces with solar cells to reduce fuel consumption, and added 50 horsepower to the engine. I've installed a force field at the nose to act like a front bumper."

"You're an artist in your field, Rot." Davey hopped on the bike. "Your Data Spear acts as the bike's starter key, and you can control it through your interface." The Data Spear appeared from its hiding place under Davey's left wrist, and snaked its way into place. The twin 'tire' blowers sprang into life, rushing air straight down. The hydraulic twin stands that held the bike up lifted up and snapped into place. Davey found the clutch pedal, and the turbine in the back produced a little forward trust, just enough to take itself out of Rotor's garage.

Sonic and Tails saw him appear. "Wow!" "Davey Crockett! Big Daddy! Jucin' it up on a hog of his own!!" Sonic revved in place. Davey squeezed the throttle. Both produces copious amounts of dirt as they staged in front of an imaginary drag strip 'Christmas Tree.' The roar became deafening. An orange glow growled from behind both of them.

And then all three of them simply vanished, leaving behind a thunderclap as air rushed to fill the space that their bodies once occupied.

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